Untouchable
by Starchick
Summary: Well, the second part of the Takimi/Mimato triangle is up, sorry it took so long. Guess who won the vote. Please r/r
1. Default Chapter

Well, this is one for the record ^^*, a TK/Mimi/Matt. Since I haven't seen a Takimi for a   
while, but I still want to write a Mimato...this idea kinda came out. Really strange, I  
know...^_^;; but anywayz.. this isn't the kind of stuff I usually write..  
The story's kind of written out in a confusing way, so I'll explain it. The first part of the  
first flashback takes place during 'Ikkakumon's Harpoon Torpeodo' in 01. The second part  
of the first flashback doesn't really take place during a certain episode, but during 01,  
also. The second flashback takes place during 'Family Picnic' in 02. And the rest of the  
story takes place pretty much in 02 also, around the time when Agumon's captured.   
Well, enjoy, and please review, kk? 99% of this part is in TK's POV.  
  
  
  
UNTOUCHABLE  
  
  
  
  
  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
  
******Flashback******  
  
An eight year old TK opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up in the cave. It was the   
middle of the night, and the other 6 kids were fast asleep, all exhausted after the big  
argument that had taken place that evening between his older brother Yamato and the  
group's leader by mutual agreement, Taichi. TK blinked in the direction of the dying fire  
just outside the cave's mouth. Why am I awake now? he wondered silently. Matt will be  
mad if he catches me up.  
  
But the boy couldn't sleep, so he headed out of the cave and sat next to the fire, staring  
into the orange flames. Then he glanced up at the huge mountain and forest around it,  
the mountain that the others had been debating to climb or not. He shuddered, thinking  
of the scary monsters that might be lurking out in the forest. It definetly wasn't safe to  
be out here alone. As if it wasn't bad enough when he and his parents and brother used  
to go camping and TK would be afraid of bears and maybe wolves in the forests, now  
they were stuck in another strange place where he had to worry about monsters, too.  
Then he thought of Patamon, and felt a little better.  
  
A yawn came from the cave, and TK turned around as Mimi strolled out sleepily. She   
rubbed her eyes and blinked at him in confusion. "TK?" she asked questioningly. "What  
are you doing out here? Isn't Joe the one who's keeping watch tonight?"  
"Yeah," said TK. "But he isn't here, I haven't seen him. I just came out a few minutes   
ago."  
  
"Oh." Mimi walked over to the fire and sat down near him. After a moment, she reached  
behind her, picked up a stick, and began poking the fire with it, somewhat bringing it   
back to life. TK just sat, watching the girl he had a crush on with a look of admiration.  
His first crush. He'd heard somewhere that a first crush was really special, and it felt   
that way too. Mimi was special, to him anyways. She was the first girl he'd met that   
made him totally forget the 'girls have icky cooties' rule. He decided that SHE didn't have   
cooties. Nobody who was that cute and that much fun to play with could have them.  
Mimi threw away the stick and leaned back, staring up at the starry navy-blue sky.  
"Mimi?" TK asked, lying on his back and looking up as well. "Do you ever miss home, and  
your mom and dad? Do you think we'll ever go back?"  
  
Mimi didn't say anything for a moment. "Yeah," she said. "I really miss Mommy and Daddy  
a lot..." she broke off, leaving the latter question unanswered. TK glanced at her, she  
was wearing the same look she had before, when they'd been eating eggs and talking  
about home. "Mimi, it's ok," he said in an effort to cheer her up. "We'll get back home  
again, I know we will." He didn't know why he felt so sure about it, but he believed that  
Matt would take care of him and they would all go home soon.  
  
Mimi gave him a tiny smile, her eyes showing her gratitude. She then jumped to her feet  
and helped TK to his. "Well, we'd better get back inside. It's getting cold out, and if Joe  
comes back and sees us, he'll probably tattle tomorrow." The 2 of them went back inside  
the cave. As TK lay down next to Matt and Patamon and Gabumon again, he could see  
Mimi lying down between Sora and Palmon. The night bcame silent again, but still TK  
couldn't sleep. He lay facing the ceiling, his thoughts wandering around a certain girl with  
a big pink hat.  
  
After a while, TK crawled over to where Mimi was. She was already sleeping, and after  
a moment's hesitation, staring at her, TK leaned over and gave her a little kiss on the  
cheek. The first kiss he'd ever given a girl, other than his mom. He crawled back over to  
Matt, lying down again. He felt...warm, and light, and a little funny, but he liked it. For  
some reason, it was a lot easier to go to sleep afterwards, as long as he held onto that  
feeling.  
  
  
And nobody ever found out about what had happened that night, not even Mimi. TK had  
the biggest crush on her through most of their time in the Digiworld, they all knew it. TK  
would talk to Matt about it, but he would just brush it off as "a kiddie crush", feeling sure  
that it would blow over. And though Mimi knew about it, she didn't treat him any   
differently than before. The 2 were close, she was TK's best friend in the Digiworld. They  
were both the most childish members of the group, so he understood her really well, and  
vice versa. They became good playmates, playing while the others figured out what to  
do. TK would always stick up for her, because sometimes he felt that he had to look out  
for her, and other times she would play big sister to him. All the while, TK still had the  
crush on her, although sometimes he forgot that he did, when they were playing. He  
would also try to get Mimi and Matt close, since Matt was his big brother and Mimi felt  
like his sister, or favourite cousin. Like the time when he'd asked Mimi to come with  
him and Matt when they'd split up in the factory, and when he'd begged her to stay just  
a little longer when everyone had gone to look for Sora and Tai in the desert. It was fun,  
playing matchmaker, though he was never really sure if it worked. Matt made fun of Mimi,   
but it was easy to see that he was joking. Mimi would just act annoyed or miffed. Well,  
it seemed that they became friends, though they wouldn't always show it when they   
were with the others. It was as if TK had realized that he didn't have much chance with  
Mimi because she was older, but he thought that getting Matt and Mimi together would  
be almost as good, so then he'd be able to be near her even more.  
  
As the time in the digital world wore on, TK also got to know Sora, the other girl in the  
group, and he liked her too, because she was so responsible and took care of all of them,  
but not in the same way he liked Mimi. Sora was like the group's mother, but that was  
just it, it would always be clear that she was older than TK when she took care of him.  
Mimi was the only one who didn't treat him like a kid, since she was almost just like  
him, in some cases, even younger. TK matured way before she did.  
  
Then Sora and Mimi started becoming best friends. It hurt TK for awhile, because Mimi  
had been his best friend, but then Kari came along, and he just seemed to forget.   
Everyone thought it seemed so right about TK and Kari. They were both the same age,  
the youngest members in the group, their digimon were the same type and their names,  
Angemon and Angewomon, even went together. It seemed like fate. TK and Kari got  
very close, and the others all thought it was really cute (with the occasional complaint  
from Matt or Tai). Though TK and Mimi still remained close, it wasn't exactly the same.  
  
******Flashback Ends******  
  
  
  
An eleven year old TK leaned against his bed, shooting his basketball into a hoop on the  
opposite wall, his mind in a turmoil.  
  
Mimi had moved to America months before. He'd been sad, and he missed her, but only  
in a friendly way, his crush on her had (seemingly) disappeared years ago, halfway   
through the digital adventure. He liked Kari now, even though he had to fight Davis   
Motomiya for her. Kari seemed to be enjoying the attention, flattered that 2 guys were  
both in love with her, but she seemed to be leaning toward TK. It was just a special  
something that he felt around her.  
  
He hadn't even thought of a crush on Mimi, she'd just been like his big sister, even after  
the Digiworld.  
  
He thought he was long over that childish puppy love.  
  
Until he saw her again.   
  
His mind once again flashed back to that Saturday a couple of weeks ago, when Mimi had  
shown up and come to the Digiworld with himself, Kari, Davis and the other new DD's. He  
and Kari had been so amazed to see her, for the first time in months. They hadn't even  
recognized her, until she'd spoken. And TK could tell that she hadn't recognized them,  
either.   
  
It had been great to see that even though she looked and seemed so different in some  
ways, she was still the same girl she'd always been. TK was beginning to think she never  
would change. The new digidestined seemed entranced by her as well. In any case, Yolei  
was, and so was Davis, TK suspected. It had looked that way for sure...  
  
  
******Flashback******  
  
The 6 kids (Mimi included), and their digimon (Palmon NOT included) sat around the picnic  
blanket, laughing and giggling and talking. TK and Cody were discussing something about  
Ken's control spires, Davis and Veemon seemed to be having some sort of eating contest,  
and Mimi, Gatomon, and Kari were talking about past times in the digiworld, what they  
were up to lately, and what the others were up to lately.  
  
"Hawkmon, wait up!" Yolei cried, chasing after her digimon as he chased after a piece of  
sushi. Mimi glanced in the direction of the way they had left with a worried look on her  
face.   
  
"What's wrong Mimi?" TK asked her, looking at her in concern. She turned to him with her  
same carefree smile. "Well, I'm a little worried about Yolei and Hawkmon being alone in  
the digital world, I don't think it's safe. I'm gonna go look for them, k?" She got up.  
"Ok," said Kari. They watched as she ran into the forest. As soon as she was out of   
earshot, Davis turned to TK with an annoyed frown. "Ok, TN, spill it. How do you know   
Mimi so well?" He had seen the way that, within moments of landing in the Digiworld, TK  
had immediately jumped to hug her tightly, as Kari followed suit, and Mimi threw her arms  
around both of them.  
  
TK just stared at him. This sounds way too familiar, he thought. Oh no, not her too.  
"Well Davis, she's my big sister," he told him. Davis's eyes bulged and his jaw hit the  
ground. "WHAT?!" he cried in shock. "You guys don't look a thing alike!"  
TK sweatdropped, as Kari, Gatomon, and Patamon collapsed in laughter. "Davis, I didn't  
mean that literally."  
  
"He meant that Mimi is LIKE a big sister to the 2 of us," Kari explained, after getting  
herself under control. "In the digiworld when we were younger, she seemed like a big   
sister to us, her and Sora."  
  
Davis narrowed his eyes at TK. "Oh yeah? I didn't see you greet Sora like that," he   
complained. TK looked down. "Well, Mimi moved to America, I-we missed her," he pointed  
out. "And also, she and I, well, were kinda close..."  
  
Kari blinked at Davis, then turned to Cody. "You think he..?" Cody began. Kari nodded.  
"I'm willing to bet on it. Poor Mimi, she doesn't know what's coming."  
"I've never felt more sorry for anyone," muttered Gatomon.  
Davis went a little farther from the others, looking sort of mad. Veemon followed him.  
"What's the matter Davis?" he wanted to know.   
"It's not fair," Davis muttered. "TK gets Kari, and now he gets Mimi too?"  
"You like both of them now?" Veemon enquired. Davis silenced himself for a moment.   
"Yeah, Mimi is really pretty..."  
TK glanced at the 2 of them, then he and Kari smirked at each other. All he could think  
was, here we go again....  
  
******Flashback Ends******  
  
  
Davis had only mentioned Mimi once or twice, to Sora (it seemed he somehow found out  
that she was Mimi's best friend) since then. But Mimi had been on TK's mind a lot since  
then. Not exactly ALL the time, but he thought of her at little moments, like when he  
was playing basketball on the school's team, and he remembered her saying that he was  
so tall now that when she first saw him, she could've sworn it was Matt. He was the  
same height as her.  
  
But it was obvious that she was much older, than him, and than the childish teenybopper  
she'd been before she'd left. TK couldn't get over the change in her. She was a lot more  
sophisticated (probably compliments of New York). He loved her new look, though it had  
not come as that much of a surprise to him, since she had sent the group a picture of  
herself before. Her dyed hair looked so natural on her, which was strange because on  
anyone else, it would've looked retarded. But for her, it had MIMI written all over it.  
She was much more poised and confident and especially mature. But she was so sweet,  
and caring.   
  
One of the biggest things TK admired about her now was that she had found her faults  
and realized her mistakes and bad points, and done her best to try to fix them, but she  
still hadn't lost her personality, which was what everyone seemed to like about her. She's  
definetly come a long way, he thought.  
  
TK threw the ball through the hoop again, his mind in a huge jumble. Which brought him  
back to his feelings. He thought he might have his childhood crush on her again, the only  
thing was, it was so much more stronger than it had been when he was 8. It sort of  
scared him a little.  
  
I shouldn't think like this, TK told himself, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to ward off the  
thoughts. I still have about as much chance as I had with her 3 years ago.  
Maybe even less, he thought, thinking about the time he and Kari had told the others  
about Mimi's super-short visit, as Yolei had kept going on and on about how great and  
cool and amazing she was, and how she wanted to be just like her. He had seen the  
strange hidden look in Matt's eyes when they talked about her.  
  
TK shot the ball into the net yet again. Well, in the end, I did what I'd wanted to do,  
kind of, he said silently. I'm sure she and Matt will get together soon, probably.  
Now just one more question: Why did it his heart feel like it was being twisted into a  
pretzel, just at the thought of it?  
  
  
  
Don't worry, this isn't the end. I know it's not all that good, it's just a bunch of flashbacks  
and thinking and stuff, and there isn't much dialogue, but this is just the prologue, the  
real part'll be better. I don't usually write prologues to my stories, but I couldn't decide,  
so I want you guys to choose. What should it be: Takimi or Mimato? It's your choice.   
Please review and tell me, okay? 7+ votes needed for me to write the next part and see  
who won. 


	2. Untouchable

Well, the votes were in, and the winner was....Takimi. Yaaay!! But Mimato fans can still   
be happy, because I did promise to write a Mimato, so there are Mimato parts in this,   
okay? So everyone can be happy ^_^  
Alright, now for explanations. This takes place about 2 months after the prologue, after  
Ken goes good. There are 2 flashbacks in here, so the first one takes place during the  
'Forget About It' episode in 01, and the 2nd one doesn't take place during any real   
specific episode of 01, just during basically most of the season. This part has a lot of  
references to the prologue, so maybe you should read that first. Well, enjoy!  
  
  
  
UNTOUCHABLE  
  
  
  
  
  
  
TK Takaishi woke up from a dream he'd been having, immediately forgetting what it had   
been about. He sat up in bed and looked toward the window, still a little groggy. The sun   
was starting to set. TK blinked, now wide awake as he got off the bed. He was in his   
brother Yamato's bedroom. He remembered that he had walked home with him, and Matt   
had insisted that he take a nap since he looked tired. Ordinarily TK would've argued, but   
he'd had to admit that he'd been tired.  
  
TK rubbed his eyes. Man, what's wrong with me? he wondered. I almost never take naps,  
I even hated it when Mom used to tell me to take one.  
He glanced at the door as he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Instantly, he rec-  
ognized one of them.   
  
"Matt, you're so...AAAHH!!" The voice abruptly broke off into an indignant shriek. TK's  
eyes brightened as he recognized Mimi Tachikawa's familiar scream. What's she doing   
here? he wondered, opening the door and looking down the hall toward the kitchen. Sure   
enough, he saw a flash of pink hair, then Mimi sort of stumbled into view. TK's breath   
caught in his throat as he looked at her, still the same way she was when they'd seen her   
in the digital world that one Saturday morning about 2 months ago. Still so grown up, and  
yet childish. The old Mimi apparently hadn't gone anywhere.  
  
"Mimi!" TK dashed toward her, throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly,   
catching her by surprise, the same way he used to when he was 8. This time, he practic-  
ally knocked her over. It was still so fantastic to see her again, even though she had   
arrived last night and he had seen her then. It had only been for about an hour or 2,   
anyway.  
  
Mimi blinked in surprise as she stared down at him, then gave a surprised smile. "Heya,"   
she remarked. "Where'd you come from?"  
"Oh TK, you're awake," said Matt, from where he was cleaning something up on the  
counter.  
"I was taking a nap," TK explained to Mimi, smiling at her. She gave that special smile of  
hers and hugged him as well. "Well, it's great to see you, anyway," she replied, then  
glanced at Matt, pulling away from TK. "It's nice to know that there is at least 1 sane   
person in this house." TK turned to her in confusion, then noticed the annoyed look she  
had on her face. He turned to Matt, and then noticed that he was wiping up something  
he'd spilled. "What did you spill Matt?" he asked. Matt shrugged casually. "Fruit punch."  
"It's not WHAT he spilled, it's WHERE he spilled it," Mimi snapped, glaring hot coals at Matt.  
"Where did he spill it?" asked TK slowly, getting the uncomfortable feeling that he already  
knew.  
  
"Three guesses," Mimi told him with narrowed eyes. She gestured to her red, white, and  
blue baby T-shirt, where TK could see a dark-red stain down the front. He sighed. "I think  
I only need one," he muttered.  
  
Matt tossed the sponge into the sink. "Geez Mimi, it was an ACCIDENT," he told her.  
"Yeah, and I'm supposed to believe that...when?" Mimi argued.   
"And I'm supposed to care...when?" Matt countered, mocking her.  
TK quickly intervened. "Uh, Mimi, what are you doing here anyway?" he wanted to know.  
Mimi turned to him, losing the angry glare in her eyes. TK saw them fill with the same  
childlike glow they'd had when she'd been in the Digiworld, and for some reason, he felt  
happy that she was still every bit as innocent despite living in New York for the past 9  
months.  
  
"I decided that I'd visit everyone today, as soon as you all got out of school. I've seen  
Sora at tennis practice, Tai at soccer, Izzy was in the computer room with the new Digi-  
destined, they were getting ready to go to the digital world. They asked me if I wanted  
to go too, but I didn't feel like it." She shrugged.  
"Maybe you should've," said Matt with a smirk. "Then maybe you wouldn't be feel so bored  
and decide to bug everyone else."  
  
Mimi glared at him, then turned back to TK. "Do you believe your brother?" she asked.   
"Sheesh, this is the gratitude I get for TRYING to visit my best friends?"  
  
TK stood aside, watching them start another round of arguments. He was reminded of   
earlier times in the Digiworld when the 3 of them had been alone together, and of the  
interaction between his older brother and Mimi. Matt would make fun of Mimi, and end-  
lessly torment her, and Mimi would complain and insult him to Palmon, always making sure  
that Matt could hear her, and call him "a big meanie". TK, Palmon, Gabumon, and Patamon  
had never been sure exactly how it had happened, but somehow, the 2 of them had been  
able to form a pretty good friendship from that.  
  
Maybe it had even become more, TK thought, watching Matt as he argued with Mimi. He  
was enjoying it, TK could see in his eyes. So was Mimi, he realized. He looked at her as  
she shouted something at Matt. He could tell she was trying to stay mad at him, but it  
didn't seem to be working all that well.   
  
TK remembered listening to them argue, then talk softly as he fell asleep in the digital  
world years ago. He'd secretly smiled to himself, thinking that it reminded him of the times  
his mom and dad used to talk quietly into the night while he and Matt fell asleep. He'd  
thought that it was really cool, the idea of Matt and Mimi.  
  
Now, though, he definetly didn't feel that way. He felt a strange, knawing feeling at his  
heart. TK turned away, pretending to block out their voices.  
  
Mimi turned away from Matt with an injured sniff. "And to think that I actually missed  
this," she grumbled.  
Matt raised an eyebrow, and his mood seemed to take a 180. "What's so strange about  
that?" he demanded. "I missed you too."  
Mimi stared back at him, and she allowed a tiny smile, that Matt missed but TK saw. Then  
she sighed and turned to TK, looking hopelessly lost and confused. "My gosh. TK, please  
tell me, are all guys this wierd, or is it just him?"  
  
TK had to laugh, as Matt narrowed his eyes at Mimi. "As if she thinks she's totally   
perfect," he complained. "She's the one whose majorly PMS-ing."  
TK laughed harder, covering his eyes. He couldn't watch as Mimi tore his brother to shreds  
painfully, as he knew she was ready to do.  
  
Mimi gave an indignant squeal. "You pervert!" she gasped, shoving him. Then she spun  
around, preparing to stalk out of the place. "I am so not taking this, goodbye!"  
Matt laughed, then held her back by the shoulders. "Chill out Mims, I was just joking."  
Mimi gave that tiny, secret smile again, the difference was that this time, Matt also saw  
it as well as TK. She shook her head. "There must be something really wrong with me, I  
actually missed you."   
  
Matt rolled his eyes. "Oh wow. What are you ON?" he said really sarcastically.  
Finally, TK intervened. "Oh come on you guys, enough with the flirt-fest, and just ask  
each other out," he said with a grin, which completely covered up his real thoughts. It   
had never been so painfully to say a couple of words.   
  
Matt glared at him. "What are you talking about?" he demanded, as Mimi blinked at TK.  
Then her jaw dropped. "Oh great....and just when I was starting to have hope  
that you might be adopted or something." She sighed, then smiled. "But you're still MUCH  
nicer than your brother."   
"Gee, thanks," muttered Matt.   
"I've gotta go see Joe, he's the only one I haven't seen yet," said Mimi, getting ready to  
leave. She gave TK a quick hug, and then a little kiss on the cheek, then turned to Matt  
to do the same.   
  
TK barely noticed, however. He touched the place on his cheek that Mimi  
had kissed, feeling his face turn red. He felt that warm rush that he had felt a while ago,  
when he'd been in his bedroom, thinking about her after her first short visit. And now he  
remembered where he recognized the feeling from. It was also the same thing he'd felt  
that night in the digital world 3 years ago, after kissing her on the cheek. Except this   
time, it was so much stronger. TK was a little afraid, as if he were treading on thin ice.  
  
Mimi hugged Matt, a little longer than she had for TK. "You're really mean, you know, but  
don't worry, you're still my friend," she reassured him, adding quickly, "I think."  
Matt smirked. "Thank you for the compliment, now I think I'll go call Joe and warn him   
that you're coming."  
Mimi scowled, turned around, and headed out the door. "Mimi, don't forget about the   
picnic we're all having tomorrow," TK called after her. Mimi stuck her head back through   
the doorframe. "I won't. 10 in the morning, right?" she asked. TK nodded, then she stuck   
her head back out, saying, "Thanks TK, I'll see ya there."   
  
Then she was gone. TK just stood staring at the door, still in a type of daze. Out of the  
corner of his eye, he saw Matt dialing a number on the phone. He turned to him,   
confused. "You weren't serious about calling Joe, were you?" he asked.  
Matt laughed. "Relax TK, I'm not telling Joe on your GIRLFRIEND," he teased. "I'm just   
calling Mom to come pick you up."  
  
"Oh, okay," said TK, going back to Matt's room to get his backpack. Matt stared after him  
in surprise, realizing he hadn't even gotten mad about the 'girlfriend' remark. "I wonder   
what's wrong with him?"  
  
*****************************************************************  
  
That night, TK went up to his room at around 9, after just getting off the phone with his  
best friend, Hikari Kamiya, who'd told him that he'd better get to sleep earlier than usual.   
The next morning, he was going to the botanical park with her,   
her brother Taichi, and probably Sora Takenouchi, for the picnic that the DDs had   
planned, in honor of Mimi's homecoming.  
  
TK took off his clothes, put on his pajamas, crawled into bed, closed his eyes, and tried   
to fall asleep. It wasn't working. He turned around and looked up at the ceiling, his mind   
full. He touched the spot on his cheek again. I wonder if Mimi ever found out about that   
night? he wondered. He sort of hoped she had, but he doubted it. That kiss had probably   
not meant anything, Mimi was just the sort of person that gave out kisses and hugs like  
nothing. But it was nice to think that it MIGHT mean something.  
  
TK blinked, then shook his head. I can't believe I'm actually thinking like this, he thought.  
Mimi was 3 years older than him, she could have any guy she wanted, and, though he  
didn't want to admit it, it kind of seemed that she wanted his brother. That was pretty  
much the way TK had wanted it for so long, he'd really tried hard to get Mimi and Matt  
together. So then why did he feel so awful about it? This is worse than when he'd been  
a kid.  
  
Am I, like, in love with her or something? TK thought sarcastically. In the next second, he  
realized that it wasn't sarcasm at all. It was real.  
  
He tried to shake the thought of it away. I can't be, he thought. What about Kari? Every-  
body thinks that we're gonna be together soon. I like her...don't I?   
  
So then what was this about Mimi? Why couldn't he stop thinking about the time in the  
digital world when he and Mimi had been the best of friends, always together? Why was it  
that he couldn't even talk to her without feeling this funny rush? Why did it kill him inside  
to see her and Matt even within 2 feet of one another. That was what he'd wanted,   
wasn't it? He thought back to a time in the Digiworld years ago, during the time that Sora   
and Tai had disappeared, and everyone had set out to look for them...  
  
  
******Flashback******  
  
TK and Mimi were building their 5th sand castle that day, and this time, Palmon and Pata-  
mon were helping too. Matt and Gabumon were sitting by the campfire, talking about...  
something, TK wasn't sure what.  
  
Joe Kido and Koushiro "Izzy" Izumi had left earlier that afternoon, along with their digimon.   
TK had been pretty depressed after that, but he'd soon started to forget about it,   
especially after Mimi had suggested that they build a sand castle. TK had been slightly   
surprised that she was willing to fill her empty cosmetic cases with sand, but he'd soon   
realized that Mimi was trying to make him feel better, because that's what best friends   
were for. Sometimes, it didn't always work when one of the others tried to encourage him,   
because it reminded him that he was the little kid, and they were supposed to protect   
him, and he didn't really like that. But when Mimi did it, it worked. She would NEVER treat   
him like a kid, just like Tai.  
  
They'd built the sand castle, despite Matt's comments to Mimi about still playing in the   
sand box. At first, Palmon and Patamon were very confused, having no idea about what a   
sand castle was, but the 2 of them had quickly learned.  
  
Now, it was after dinner, and Matt and Gabumon were keeping watch, as TK dug a moat  
around the castle, Palmon and Mimi carved windows and stuff into the walls with stick (or  
vines), and Patamon made the towers and turrets.  
  
"Wow, this is beginning to look like Camelot," Mimi giggled. Palmon turned to her, her face  
etched with confusion. "What's a camelot?" she wanted to know.  
"Is it a sand castle?" Patamon wondered. Mimi shook her head. "Well, it's a castle, but it's  
not made of sand. It's a real castle, and it's famous. I learned about it in school."  
"Is it real?" TK asked her. "I saw the movie, 'Quest for Camelot', but I thought it was just  
a fairy tale."  
"Well, it's kind of a fairy tale, I'm not sure if the castle's real or not. Some people say it   
is," Mimi answered.  
Patamon finished with the towers and dropped down next to TK. "I'm tired," he said.  
"We made a lot of sand castles today," said TK. "I wonder if any digimon saw them."  
"Me too, but I hope Kuwagamon didn't see them," said Palmon. "He'd probably knock them  
down."  
"He's such a big bully," agreed Mimi.  
  
Matt came over. "Haven't you gotten tired of this sand castle kick yet?" he asked Mimi. "I  
never thought of you as the kind who'd actually enjoy this stuff. Okay, I lied, you always  
have been kind of a baby."  
Mimi scowled at him, then turned to the others. "Then again, Kuwagamon doesn't hold a  
candle to this guy. At least Kuwagamon doesn't call you names."  
  
TK couldn't help it, he had to laugh a little. So did Palmon. Gabumon came over too. "Oh,  
don't worry about him," he told Mimi. "Matt's just not good with children."  
"I'm NOT a child!" Mimi shouted.  
Matt glared at him. "Gabumon, you're supposed to be on my side," he muttered.  
"I am on your side, Matt," Gabumon laughed.  
"Matt, building sand castles is fun, you should try it," said TK with a grin. Matt's eyes   
went wide. "What?" he exclaimed. "You'd never catch me acting like a 4 year old trapped   
in an 11 year old's body." He glanced at Mimi with a smirk. "No offense."  
Mimi narrowed her eyes at him. "None taken. See, at least ONE of us can act mature   
around here."  
  
Matt rolled his eyes and turned around. "Guys, you have to take this seriously. We have   
to find out where Tai and Sora are, and we have to meet up with the others. How are we  
supposed to do that if you guys keep building sand castles every 5 feet? I swear..."  
As Matt kept going on, TK noticed Mimi discreetly filling a container with sand. She met   
his eyes with a mischevious gleam in them, and he suddenly realized what she was going   
to do. He covered up his mouth to stifle the giggles, as Mimi came up quietly behind Matt,  
then poured the sand-- all over his hair.  
  
Matt cried out in shock and began quickly trying to brush the sand out of his hair as the  
others proceeded to die laughing. TK laughed so hard his stomach started to hurt, but  
finally he got his laughter under control and sat up to watch Matt and Mimi.  
  
Mimi gave a calm smile. "Mimi- 1, Yamato- zip," she murmured. Matt glared at her through  
a curtain of blond hair, still trying to sweep out the sand. "Whatever happened to being  
mature?" he demanded. "That was just low."  
"Everyone has a limit, Matt," Mimi told him. "Besides, I was just kidding."  
  
Matt was about to say something else, and TK could tell that a huge argument was going  
to break out. Gabumon stepped in. "Come on, Matt, we have to keep lookout. It's getting  
late. The rest of you should get to bed," he said. Matt rolled his eyes upward. "Okay,   
okay," he muttered. "You're just lucky I'm letting you get away with this," he told Mimi.   
She just gave him her annoyed look, and walked over to TK, who was already following   
Gabumon's orders and lying down. Gabumon dragged Matt over to the fire, reassuring him   
that his hair didn't look that bad. Mimi lay down next to TK, with Palmon on her other side.   
  
"Mimi, are you mad?" TK risked asking. Mimi turned around to him, and he could easily see  
that she wasn't mad at all. Her eyes shone brightly, and she was trying not to laugh. She  
shook her head. "I'm not mad, TK, but it was time for your brother to bring his ego down   
a peg," she told him. Her smile was contagious, and TK smiled back at her. It was strange,  
because usually he would be on Matt's side for anything, but this time, he was on Mimi's.  
He wasn't too worried about it, though. He'd seen them argue this way before, in the  
sphinx, where they were left alone as the others searched for Sora's crest. They hadn't  
exactly outwardly apologized then, it had been more of a mutual truce.  
Mimi turned to talk to the digimon, as TK pondered over whether he dared ask Mimi this  
question. He finally decided to risk it. "Mimi?" he asked carefully. "What do you think of  
Matt?"  
  
Mimi blinked at him, caught off guard. She was speechless, not knowing what to say. TK  
looked at her, studying her expression.  
"Well TK," she began. "I don't know." She paused, seeming to think about it as she glanc-  
ed at Matt. "He's sort of mean to me, he insults me even if I didn't do anything. But...I   
dunno, in a way, it's like he's trying to help me. Not the same way Sora and Joe do, he's   
a little more, uh, straightforward. But it toughens me up, I sometimes get the feeling that   
he sets it up so I have to defend myself."  
  
TK blinked too, not exactly knowing what that meant. But that was Mimi all over, she   
wasn't afraid to pour her heart out to him, and it would never occur to her that he   
wouldn't always know what she meant. She treated him as an equal. He still wanted to   
know if she liked his brother...or him.  
  
"Mimi?" he asked again. "Do you like me?"   
Mimi smiled at him. "Of course I like you, TK," she said, then went a little quietly.   
"Actually, when we first came here, I thought that you were the only one who really   
understood me."  
TK smiled, feeling a little happier. He wasn't exactly sure if that answered his question the  
way he'd wanted it to be answered, but it was good enough. He was really glad that she  
thought he was special, even if it was only a little, and that she didn't hate him in spite  
of the fact that she knew he had a crush on her.  
  
"Do you like Matt?" he wanted to know, genuinely curious. She rolled her eyes upward and  
sighed, though TK could swear that there was the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks.   
Then again, it could just be the sunset reflecting off her, there were still a few traces of   
pink light on the horizon. "What's with all the questions all of a sudden?" she complained,   
though she still smiled at him a little. "Go to sleep." She, on the other hand, got up and   
walked over near Matt was, with Palmon tagging after her. TK watched the 2 of them and  
their digimon, then with a satisfied smile, followed Mimi's suggestion.  
  
******Flashback Ends******  
  
  
TK remembered the satisfied feeling he'd had that night, even though he was never really  
sure what had happened. In any case, Mimi had left the next morning to join the search.  
  
Stop it, stop it, stop it! he shouted in his mind. Why was he continuosly having these  
flashbacks about past moments with her? I can't be in love with her, he told himself.   
  
He remembered the endless amount of slimy digimon who'd had huge crushes on Mimi, and  
he smiled as he remembered her disgust. Then he sighed. Please let me have control on   
this, he thought. He didn't want to do this to himself. He just couldn't be in love with her,  
he had about as much chance with her as one of those Numemon had had. He didn't want  
to think about what would happen if he gave her his heart. Though the others had all   
accepted her as one, it was a known fact that Mimi was a heartbreaker. In this case, he  
knew it would be worse, especially when Mimi seemed to like Matt.  
  
But it was too late, and he knew it. Mimi already had his heart, she'd had it for a long   
time. He'd fallen under the spell that so many others had. But not even she knew what   
she would do with it.  
  
******************************************************************  
  
"Tai, hurry up, we're gonna be late!" Sora called into the house. It was about 9:50 in the  
morning, and Sora, TK, and Kari were gathered outside the house with the things they'd   
promised to bring. They were all set, but neither Tai nor Mimi (who was coming with   
them), had come out yet.  
  
"I'm here," said Tai, running outside with the picnic blanket. "I just had to check some-  
thing."  
"Uh, Tai?" Kari pointed to his shoes. "Shoelaces." His laces were lying in several knots   
around the shoe. Tai nodded, then bent down to tie them, as Kari rolled her eyes hope-  
lessly toward TK. Then Tai glanced up. "Hey, where's Mimi?"  
  
"Right here!" Mimi cried, dashing out the front door. "Sorry."  
Sora grinned. "It's alright Mimi, we all know that you never get out of the bathroom for at  
least half an hour when you're putting on makeup and stuff," she reassured her, laughing  
as Mimi gave her one of her infamous death glares. She tightened her ponytail and tugged  
down on her cutoff jean shorts. "Sheesh, sorry for living," she muttered, sticking her  
tongue out at her best friend.  
  
Tai shook his head. "Would you believe I really missed this?" he sighed, raising an   
eyebrow. "Come on Mimi, you're gonna make us late."  
"Nice to see you too," she answered.   
"Let's go," Kari ordered. "Before this gets too out of hand. If it were up to you 2, we'd be  
standing here all day watching you trade insults."  
  
No one argued, for once, and they all ran down the street toward the bus stop, getting  
there just in time. Once there, Sora and Mimi immediately went for the back and sat tog-  
ether, Tai sat in front of them (or more like sat on his knees facing them with his arms   
over the chair, to be able to talk to them), and TK and Kari sat in the seat next to them.  
  
The 2 younger kids watched and listened to the others as they talked. Tai finally began   
to annoy them both, and Mimi was asking Sora whether it was illegal or not to sit the way  
Tai was sitting on a public bus.  
  
Kari giggled. "For some reason, Mimi just doesn't seem to be getting along with Tai and  
Matt lately, from what I've heard."  
"No, she gets along with them, just not exactly the same way we do," murmured TK. Kari  
glanced at him, noting that he seemed kind of distant. Then she noticed something else:  
TK wasn't staring at the group in general, he was just staring at one person. Mimi.  
Kari studied him for a moment, then turned to look out the window, deep in thought.  
  
They got off about a few blocks away from the botanical park, where they were holding  
the picnic. "You know, you guys didn't have to do this for me," said Mimi as they walked  
down the street toward the park.   
"We did it 'cause you're one of our best friends, and we missed you," Sora told her, giving  
her a quick, single-armed hug.  
"No, we did it 'cause it was just something to do on a Saturday," Tai commented. Kari  
shoved him. "Tai, this is getting a little old."  
TK was walking next to Mimi, but he wasn't saying much. He wasn't staring at her too  
obviously anymore, he just looked at the ground, deep in thought, as Kari had been only  
minutes earlier.  
  
Why? his mind asked. Why did I fall for her this way? He was just setting himself up for  
disaster. Why hadn't his crush just gone away, like it was supposed to 3 years ago?  
It's not a crush anymore, he reminded himself painfully. That's pretty obvious now.  
  
Still, he was delusioning himself. He liked to think that he might have even a tiny chance  
with her, after all, the 2 of them were pretty close, even though in the end, Sora had  
taken his place as her best friend. It was bound to happen sometime, he guessed Mimi  
had found out that she just couldn't have an 8 year old best friend. How could he   
complain? Kari had taken her place as his best friend soon after as well. And he'd thought   
that she'd taken her place as more than that, until about 3 weeks ago. I wonder if Kari   
knows, he thought. He had caught her staring at him in a funny way on the bus.  
  
The small group finally entered the park, seeing the others a couple feet away. Yolei   
jumped up and started waving wildly. "TK, is something wrong?" Mimi asked, suddenly  
turning to him. TK snapped out of his daze. "What? Uh, no, it's nothing."  
  
******************************************************************  
  
"I'm going to take a break, okay?" said TK, panting. "Kari, why don't you play with Ken?"  
"Okay." Kari and Ken Ichijouji (also known until recently as the Digimon Emperor) ran over   
to one side of the field, while Davis Motomiya, "leader" of the new group of DDs, headed   
over to the other side.   
"Wait a minute, that's not fair," Davis complained. "Whose gonna be on my side?" Mimi  
glanced over from where she and Sora were hitting a tennis ball around with rackets.  
"I'll play on your team, Davis," she said. "If you want." Davis brightened up instantly.  
"Okay!" he agreed, so enthusiastically that TK just had to laugh. Mimi turned to Sora.  
"Is that okay, Sora?" she asked. Sora smiled, pushing her in their direction. "Sure, go.  
Ditch me," she said jokingly, then turned to Yolei Inoue. "Do you want to play with me,  
Yolei?"  
  
Yolei agreed, so Mimi ran to the other side of the field with Davis, the Frisbee in his  
hand. The 4 of them started sending the Frisbee sailing around the field. TK watched  
Mimi as she jumped to catch the light-green disk and send it back toward Ken and Kari,  
all in one graceful move. She's like an angel, TK thought. He saw Ken leap for the  
Frisbee, just missing it, and he smiled. Well, maybe she isn't TOTALLY perfect.  
  
Ken handed the Frisbee to Kari, and she launched it over to the other side. "It's going  
your way, Mimi," Davis told her. Mimi jumped to catch it again, but then she slammed  
into someone and fell to the ground, the other person following suit. TK blinked, then  
made an 'uh-oh' face as he realized the person that Mimi had collided with was Matt. He'd  
been playing soccer with Tai, Joe, Izzy, and Cody, and the ball had rolled into the area  
that the other 4 were playing in.  
  
"Hey, watch where you're going!" Mimi snapped. Matt glanced up at her. "Huh? You're  
the one who came out of nowhere," he argued.  
"In case you haven't noticed, we were in the middle of a game," said Mimi angrily, gestur-  
ing to the other 3  
TK watched as another argument sparked between the 2 of them. The other 3 had   
apparently realized that the game was over, much to the annoyance of Davis. He and  
Ken went over to join the soccer game, taking the ball with them, and Kari came over  
to sit with TK.  
  
"This is gonna take a while," she muttered, watching Matt and Mimi just as TK was. They  
were still arguing, though with quieter voices now. Kari smirked. "When are they gonna  
get together?" she wondered. "It's obvious to everyone, probably including them, what  
they feel for each other. It is really cute, though."  
  
TK stared at his brother and Mimi, who had seemed to stop arguing, to stop talking even.  
It was as if they didn't even realize that they were still sitting on the ground in the  
middle of the field. They were just staring at each other, like they were lost in their own  
world. The colour drained from TK's face as he looked at them. It felt like his heart was  
twisting, into a kind of pain he'd never felt before.  
  
"Yeah, really cute," he murmured, a strange something in his voice. Kari noticed it, and  
shot another glance at him. She was confused by what she saw in his eyes, then she  
looked at Mimi and Matt, and finally knew what was going on. She had to know for sure  
though.  
  
"TK," she said. TK turned to her, his eyes now a blank. "You know how everyone's  
always saying that we should be together? And how Davis always gets annoyed at that?"  
she continued. TK nodded, then raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Kari, are you trying to hit on  
me?" he asked innocently. Kari laughed a little, then shook her head. "Seriously though,  
TK, how do you feel about it?"  
  
TK didn't know what to say at first. He glanced away and shrugged. "Well, I'm not sure.  
I mean, everyone says it's right..." he trailed off and looked at Mimi and Matt, who had  
finally gotten up and decided to join the others around the picnic blanket for a snack.  
  
"But?" Kari finished, staring at him curiously. TK blinked at her. "What make you think  
there's a but?"  
"You like Mimi," said Kari matter-of-factly. "It's obvious. You do, don't you?"  
"Kari..." said TK, staring at her. Kari sighed. "TK, I'm not going to lie to you. I do  
like you, a lot. But I think I've figured out that it's not the same. You're in love with  
Mimi, anyone can see that if they look close enough. I know you liked her before you  
met me, so I guess you never really stopped liking her, deep inside."  
  
Kari looked back at him, and there were tears in her eyes, but she smiled at him. "It's  
okay, I understand. You're still my best friend, even if we can't be more."  
TK just gazed at her, beginning to feel really bad. "Kari, I'm so sorry-" he began, but  
Kari held up a hand to silence him. "I told you, it's alright," she said, then hugged him.  
"Just go after your dream," she added teasingly. TK pushed her away, sticking his tongue  
out at her. Then he shrugged. "It's not that easy," he told her.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Kari. "There's nothing that's stopping you."  
TK shook his head sadly. "Yeah there is. My own brother." Kari's eyes widened in surprise,  
and she quickly turned to Matt and Mimi, then looked back at him. "TK, I'm sorry, I   
shouldn't have said any of that stuff about them."  
TK shook his head again and leaned back against a tree. "It's not that. I've always  
known that they'd end up together someday. Before you arrived, I even tried to set  
them up together lots of times." He laughed, a little bitterly. "Wierd, how fast things  
change."  
"Oh TK." Kari stared at him. "You have to keep hope, okay? I mean, you didn't get the  
crest for nothing." She smiled at him, standing up. He smiled back at her, getting up as  
well. "Thanks Kari."  
  
  
  
"Ow! That hurt my foot!" Mimi squealed, after kicking the soccer ball in Joe's direction.  
"You're kicking it all wrong, Mimi," Tai told her. "Of course it's gonna hurt if you kick it  
that way."  
"Thanks a lot, Coach, but I don't really care," Mimi informed him, a little POed. "How  
can you actually like this game?"  
"Maybe 'cause he learned to play without complaining about his ruined toenails every  
time he kicked the ball?" TK suggested, running alongside her. She glared at him. "Don't  
you start on me too," she warned.  
  
Joe kicked the ball to Matt, then Matt kicked it a little too hard and it went flying into  
the trees. Since Mimi had been the closest to it, she ran after it, but Matt followed as  
well, since he was the one who'd kicked it.  
  
Mimi pushed through the bushes, searching for the black-and-white ball. "You see it?"  
she called to Matt. "No, do you?" he called back.  
"Really Matt, like I'd be asking you if I saw it," Mimi told him. Matt looked at her. "Sheesh,  
what's wrong with you today?" he demanded. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the  
bed."  
"I just want to find the ball, okay?" Mimi told him impatiently. "It's getting late."  
They entered a clearing, and Mimi began scanning the area, as Matt blinked at her. "You  
know, you've really changed since I last saw you. Usually, you'd never act this way  
around me."  
"I always did," Mimi reminded him. "Everyone's got to stand up for themselves with you  
around. All you ever do is insult people."  
  
Matt looked at her. "I don't always do that," he said, a little hurt. Mimi heard the hurt in  
his voice and immediately looked up from the bush she was searching in. "Matt, I didn't  
mean it that way," she said reassuringly, coming over to him. "It's just that...well, you  
kinda helped me in the digital world because you'd always make me stand up for myself,  
even if you didn't mean to."  
  
Matt stared at her for a moment, then smiled. "Uh, well, thanks..I guess," he said. Mimi  
giggled, then wrapped her arms around his neck in a close hug. It was actually the  
closest she'd ever felt to Matt, even more than the few times they'd talked on the phone  
when she was in America. She felt him put his arms around her and hug her back, just  
as closely, and it reassured her to know he felt the same way.   
  
"Oh, by the way, did you know that it sort of helped that you were kinda cute, too?" she  
added, almost as an afterthought. She heard Matt laugh. "You get wierder every day,"  
he told her. They pulled apart, and Mimi dropped her arms to the side, but Matt kept  
his hands on her shoulders. "But you do know that I never hated you, right?" he asked.  
  
Mimi smirked at him and pushed him away. "Duh," she told him. "You think I would've  
agreed with TK to stay with you all those times if I thought you hated me? And don't  
worry, the thought only crossed my mind once, for a second. And I never hated you   
either." She smiled at him, tilting her head to one side. "That make you feel better?"  
  
Matt grinned. "Lots, thanks," he told her. "You're welcome," she replied, before leaning  
in and giving him a super-quick kiss. Then she bounded back toward the bush she'd  
been examining, as Matt gazed at her in amazement, then shrugged, not knowing what  
to think.  
  
  
  
TK on the other hand, had a lot going through his mind. He'd seen it all, well most of it.  
What really mattered, anyway. He'd seen the hug, the kiss, and heard the words. Now  
there were so many emotions running through him, he couldn't even describe it. He felt...  
that heart-wrenching pain again, now so strong it was almost physical. And along with  
it, there was incredible sadness, shock, and a sense of betrayal, as he stared at his  
brother and Mimi.  
  
He didn't know what to do. The others had sent him to look for Matt and Mimi, but he  
knew there was no way he could face them.  
  
I knew this was going to happen, he told himself. He'd known he didn't have a chance  
with her, not only because of age difference, but because of what she obviously felt  
for Matt. Still, it hurt unbearably, more than he'd ever thought anything could hurt.  
  
He turned away and started silently heading back, composing himself the best he could.  
Yolei turned as he walked out of the forest. "Where are they?" she asked. TK shrugged.  
"I couldn't find them, I don't know where they went."  
  
"We're right here," said Mimi from behind him. They all turned to face her and Matt, who  
were just stepping out of the forest. "We just went to find the soccer ball."  
"It took you that long?" demanded Tai skeptically, with a sly grin. Matt glared at him  
as Mimi just gave him her annoyed look and heaved the ball hard at him, and the others  
cracked up. "Quit being immature, Tai," Matt told him.   
  
Davis looked at Yolei. "But they're blushing, aren't they? Or is that just me?" he wondered.  
Yolei grinned. "It sure looks like it."  
  
TK noticed Mimi eyeing him curiously, but he turned away from her gaze, and followed  
Sora, Izzy, and Kari. They'd already packed up, and were heading toward the bus stop.  
TK just couldn't turn around to look at Mimi. Not after what he'd seen. Not after she'd  
broken his heart.  
  
  
  
Matt set his guitar aside and went over to the window, looking out into the darkness and  
the lights of the city. It was Monday night, 2 days after the picnic, and Matt still couldn't  
forget about what happened. He knew it was a little silly to still be thinking about it. He  
was almost sure Mimi hadn't thought anything of it.  
  
But he could still feel Mimi's body against his, her arms around his neck, and her face  
against his shoulder. He could still hear her words, too. Well, even if he hadn't EXACTLY  
meant to do what she claimed he'd done in the digital world, it still sounded nice coming  
from her.  
  
Matt blinked suddenly and shook his head firmly. What am I thinking? he wondered. This  
is Mimi I'm talking about. The airhead, pink-crazy, most babyish member of the old DDs.  
Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. She hadn't been like that the whole time, just for  
the first little while. She was probably just putting up a front, to keep her reputation  
intact, since she'd just met us. I should know about that, I pretty much did the same.  
  
Still, he had to admit that he had been really annoyed with her. If anything, he was the  
last one of all of them to give her much of a chance, which was strange since his  
brother had been the first one...   
  
  
******Flashback******  
  
He could still remember how surprised he'd been when  
TK had first revealed his crush on her to him, when he'd asked him if he thought she was  
cute too. Of course, he'd immediately said no way, it had just slipped out.   
  
But then TK started spending a lot of time with her, and Matt figured that he should  
learn a little about her. He watched her for a while, and didn't really see what TK saw  
in her. She got on his nerves a lot, the way she would complain about everything around  
her. Sometimes, he just had to let her know that she was annoying him, and it usually  
came out as a kind of insult. Mimi wouldn't respond to them, she just turned away. All  
this was still at the very beginning.  
  
However, at the same time, he'd begun to notice that she and TK were getting pretty  
close, and she started treating him like a little brother. Matt wasn't blind to the best-  
friendship that was beginning to sprout between the 2 of them. And he had to admit,  
he was sort of glad. It wasn't that he didn't like to take care of TK himself, but some-  
times there were serious matters that came up (like when he fought with Tai), and at  
times like that, Matt was glad that TK had someone to run off and play with. And he   
knew that Mimi knew about TK's crush on her, and was a little grateful that she didn't  
let that get in the way. So she wasn't ALL bad.  
  
But he didn't really begin to get to know her until TK began to introduce her to him. It  
started innocently enough, like the time he'd walked over to the 2 of them with their  
digimon, running around in the Yokomon village and told them that it was time to go. TK  
had immediately bounded over to him, dragging Mimi along so that the 3 of them could  
walk together. He talked a lot, so that there wouldn't be a lack of conversation, but  
mostly about what he and Mimi had been playing, which was a little strange. Matt had  
noticed Mimi glancing at him sort of nervously, as if afraid that he would disapprove or  
something. He supposed he couldn't really blame her, since up to that point all he'd  
done was make fun of her.  
  
Then, TK had asked her to come along with him and Matt when they were exploring the  
factory. Mimi had glanced nervously at Matt, so he'd just shrugged to indicate that he  
didn't really care. But Mimi hadn't looked comfortable until Tai had told Izzy to go with  
them too. She relaxed quickly as they made their way through the building, and she  
hadn't minded much when Izzy'd decided to stay behind in that room, though she was  
still mostly talking to TK, and making comments now and then. Matt just had to reply  
to one of her remarks, telling her she had no imagination. She'd simply made a face and  
turned away, crossing her arms. "Who needs imagination in a place like this?" she'd  
retorted.  
  
Matt was surprised that she'd actually talked back to him, but TK was just happy that  
they were actually. And after that, they weren't all that shy around each other anymore.  
But no one could say that they'd immediately become great friends, not the way they  
constantly traded insults. Matt didn't know why he always picked on her, it was kind of  
on impulse. She was just such an easy target. Or she was at first. Then she started  
getting annoyed and began defending herself, and soon started insulting him back.  
  
The time the 3 of them (TK included) had been left back in the sphinx was an especially  
rocky time. Matt had apparently decided to discover her limit, and he pushed all her  
buttons on the way. She'd become so agitated and annoyed, she'd actually thrown a  
tube of lip gloss at him, and she'd shouted a lot too. Matt didn't know why he'd done  
it, it was just fun to see Mimi lose control. Although it should've been a really awful  
time, it was actually really fun, for Matt anyway, even though he'd lost his cool some-  
times too. TK had been really confused. He was glad that Matt and Mimi were at least  
talking, although they were mostly arguing. But even he knew it couldn't be good when  
Mimi had thrown something at Matt, especially when he'd seen Palmon's eyes go huge.  
  
She'd apologized, though, and one look at her eyes told Matt that she wasn't angry.  
Her eyes were glowing with childish laughter, mischief, even though there was a trace  
of annoyance. Matt didn't really know how to explain it, all he knew was that it reminded  
him of a look TK sometimes got, and it was sort of cute.  
  
******Flashback Ends******  
  
  
Matt thought of the way he'd felt in the digital world years before, as if he was looking  
after 2 people, though he hadn't really minded. If anything, Mimi had grown up super-  
fast, and she'd really developed a backbone. She'd become a lot more comfortable  
around them all. Now Matt thought of how she'd said that he had helped a little with   
that.  
  
He leaned against the cool glass of the window, sighing as he looked at the lights  
below. This is so complicated, he thought. Why is Mimi so confusing? I never know what  
she's feeling, or what she's going to do next. At least I'm not the only one.  
  
Still, it was hard, trying to decide if she'd felt anything that day in the forest. It was  
even harder to decide what he was feeling.  
  
Matt shut the curtains, glancing at the clock. 10:30 at night, and he had history first  
thing tomorrow, the hardest subject to concentrate on. He crawled into bed, then  
suddenly thought of TK. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, TK  
had been avoiding him since the picnic. When he'd talked to Mimi that afternoon, she'd  
told him that TK was avoiding her too. And when he'd tried to ask him what was up, TK  
had just gotten annoyed, then asked something strange. He'd asked how Matt felt  
about Mimi. Matt had been taken aback and had just said he didn't know. TK had nodded  
slowly and looked at him with a wierd look in his eyes, and simply said, "Well, I think I  
know." Then he'd left.  
  
  
  
And he was acting wierd at the picnic too, Matt thought. Almost every time he'd looked  
at TK, he'd been looking at Mimi, or talking to her. A frown touched his face as he  
remembered the crush TK used to have on Mimi. But that's long over, isn't it? asked  
Matt silently. He likes Kari now, I mean, look at the way he and Davis practically go to  
war over her. But then he thought of the way TK had totally ignored him the day  
before the picnic when he'd teased him about Mimi being his girlfriend, and the way he  
looked wounded whenever Matt and Mimi were together lately.  
Matt fell asleep that night with his mind in a troubled whirlwind about his little brother  
and the pink-haired angel.  
  
  
  
TK was walking home from school, he'd decided to take a different way then Yolei and  
Cody. He felt like being alone. It had been 4 days since the picnic, and he'd been doing  
his best to avoid both Matt and Mimi. It was harder to avoid his brother, though, Matt  
was getting confused. For some reason, though, Mimi seemed to be the one who was  
hurt the most by his actions. Why, he had no idea.   
  
As he turned down a street, he suddenly heard someone call out his name. He stiffened,  
recognizing the voice all too well.  
  
Mimi ran up alongside him. "Hi stranger," she greeted, giving him that special smile of hers.  
At one time, TK would've melted when she smiled like that at him. Now it just made him  
feel cold all over. He had to concentrate to keep from breaking. "Hey," he said emotion-  
lessly.  
  
Mimi gazed at him, a hurt expression on her face, though he missed it. It was quickly  
replaced by a look of concern. "TK, are you mad at me?" she asked, grabbing onto his  
arm and turning him to face her. "Tell me what I did wrong."  
  
TK stared into her large amber eyes, which were boring into his blue ones almost plead-  
ingly. And he felt his heart shatter again, knowing that 'what she'd done wrong' would  
never change. He wanted to throw himself into her arms and beg her not to leave him,  
but it wouldn't matter if he did, he couldn't change her feelings.  
  
He felt himself weakening, the tears were going to come to his eyes really soon. TK  
squeezed them shut and turned his head from Mimi, pushing her away. "Nothing you  
can fix," he told her sharply. "Just leave me alone."  
  
Mimi took his hand, her face shocked. "TK? What is it?" she asked, almost afraid. "Please  
tell me." TK shook her off. "No!" he shouted, the tears spilling over. "I don't want to  
talk to you! Just go away!" He took off down the street.  
  
He didn't see Mimi stare after him in shock, with a hint of pain in her eyes as a tear rolled  
down her cheek. "TK..." she murmured.  
  
  
  
"Well, it's about time," Matt remarked as TK slammed the door behind him, leaning against  
it and panting slightly. He'd run the whole way home. Now he glanced at his brother in  
amazement and hidden anger. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.  
Matt raised his eyebrow, and TK suddenly remembered that his mom had asked Matt to  
stay with him until she got home. Usually, TK enjoyed spending time with his big brother,  
but for obvious reasons, he really wished that his mom had asked anyone but Matt.  
  
"Well, Mom's gonna be home real soon," Matt mentioned, then looked at TK curiously.  
"Hey, what's wrong?"  
TK stared coldly at him. "Just had a run-in with your GIRLFRIEND," he told him, his tone  
a little frosty. It was as if he just had no control anymore.  
Matt stared back at him in shock, wondering what was wrong with him. "Are you talking  
about Mimi? I mean-" he quickly covered his mouth, reddening slightly, waiting for the  
endless teasing that his brother was about to dish out.  
  
But it never came. TK just rolled his eyes and glared at him. "Oh give it up, Matt," he  
said angrily. "You might as well post it in the newspaper. It wouldn't surprise anyone.  
I'm going to my room." He marched down the hall, closing his bedroom door firmly. Matt  
looked at the closed door with a quiet sort of expression. He could tell his brother was  
really upset, and he was willing to lay odds he knew why.  
  
TK collapsed on his bed, his mind in a huge jumble. Then he did something that he hadn't  
done in a long time (not counting earlier). Burying his face in his pillow, TK burst into  
tears.   
  
  
  
Just outside TK's bedroom, Matt listened as his brother sobbed, despite his efforts to  
muffle his crying. Matt felt horrible, worse than he thought he could ever feel. He hated  
himself for doing this to his own little brother, who'd always stuck on his side no matter  
what.  
  
He knows, Matt thought. I could see it in his eyes, he knows I like Mimi a lot. And I can  
tell he feels betrayed, because he thinks that I'll get Mimi anyway. I think he saw us in  
the forest on Saturday.  
  
Matt couldn't imagine how it must've felt for TK to have fallen hard for Mimi, and to know  
that he couldn't have a chance with her. And to see his brother with her instead.  
  
Finally, his mom came home, and thanked him. She'd wanted to know where TK was, and  
Matt told her he was in his room, but he warned her that he'd probably want to be alone.  
Now, as he walked toward his own house, his thoughts swam with the dilemna in front  
of him. He couldn't deny it, not when even TK knew about it. He liked Mimi, maybe even  
as much as TK did. Was that even possible? he wondered. He'd never seen TK like this  
in his whole life.  
  
Matt walked through his front door, closing it behind him. Immediately, he knew his dad  
wasn't home yet. He went over to the couch and turned on the TV, even though he  
knew he'd never be able to concentrate on it.  
  
What can I do? he asked himself, laying back on the couch with his hands behind his  
head, looking up at the ceiling. Before he could think of an answer, the phone rang. He  
went to pick it up. "Hello?"  
  
"Matt?" Matt almost dropped the phone, feeling about 2, 000 emotions at once. It was  
her.  
  
  
  
Mimi cradled the phone against her ear as she leaned against her bed, silent, confused  
tears running down her cheek. She never would've imagined that TK's words would have  
such an effect on her, but they had really stung. He had been like a stranger to her, not  
the sweet boy she'd been so close with for the last 3 years.  
  
"Mimi?" asked Matt on the other end. There was something in his voice, but Mimi just  
ignored it. "Yeah, it's me. Do you know what's wrong with TK? He acted so wierd this  
afternoon. I thought you might know what's bothering him.  
  
There was a pause. "What exactly happened?" Matt wanted to know.   
"I just ran up to him to say hi, and he acted so cold toward me. I don't know, it was  
like...like he hated me." Mimi let out a soft sob.  
"Mimi, are you okay?" Matt asked in concern. Mimi sniffled and wiped away her tears  
with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm just really confused. I don't  
even know what I did to make him mad."  
  
On the other side of the line, Matt walked over to the couch and sat on it, the phone  
still against his ear. "I think I know," he told her, a little hesitantly and quietly. "It wasn't  
just you, he was mad at me too. It's not really anger though, well not yet."  
"What's the matter?" Mimi demanded. Matt took a deep breath. "Mimi, TK still likes you."  
  
Mimi's eyes went wide and she gasped. That wasn't at all what she'd been expecting to  
hear. "What?" she cried.  
"You heard me. He still likes you, but it's way more serious than it was in the digital  
world. He's really fallen hard for you, and the reason he's so upset is because...he thinks  
that us 2 are already together."  
She stared at the phone. "Matt, if this is some dumb joke-"  
"Like I would lie about something about this?" he countered.  
  
Mimi leaned back against the bed, squeezing her eyes shut. She'd seen cases of heart-  
break back in New York between some of her friends, and she'd even experienced it  
once, when a guy had cheated on her. It was something she'd never want anyone to  
feel, much less TK. She almost shuddered, thinking of what it would do to his innocence.  
She herself had been pretty messed up after the incident. "Oh my gosh," she moaned,  
tears seeping out from beneath her closed eyelids. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know."  
  
Matt didn't say anything, he just listened to her cry on the other end. He was feeling  
terrible, and felt even worse that she had to go through this as well. This had to get  
sorted out quick, they all had to know where they stood.  
"Matt? Are you mad at me?" Mimi asked him. "I understand if you are-"  
"No, of course not Mimi," he interrupted. "You didn't know. It's not your fault."  
"Yeah right," she muttered. "I would've noticed if I hadn't been so oblivous, like always."  
"Well, it's hard to argue with you there," said Matt, not being able to hold off teasing her  
just once.  
  
Mimi scowled on the other side. "Matt, believe me, I am SO not in the mood for this,"  
she told him in annoyance. Then she thought of something. "He must've seen us in the  
forest on Saturday. Oh, I feel so awful."  
Matt nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. They both were silent for a while.  
"Matt?" Mimi finally spoke up. "How do you feel about this?"  
Matt hesitated. "Mimi...well, I feel terrible, 'cause I think I like you too, like TK," he  
admitted. "So it makes me feel horrible to think about what he's going through."  
  
Now it was Mimi's turn to almost drop the phone in shock. "You...too?" she whispered.  
"Yeah," said Matt, his voice barely audible. Mimi didn't say anything for a long time, she  
didn't think she COULD say anything. "Matt," she choked out finally, the tears sliding   
faster. "I am so, unbelievably sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't think..." she trailed off, then  
laughed bitterly. "I'm awful, aren't I? I'm like a hooker or something."  
  
"Mimi, stop," Matt told her instantly, tears beginning to prick at his eyes, triggered by  
the way Mimi was talking, and her obvious pain. But also slightly because he knew...TK  
had nothing to worry about. She really cared about him a lot, she just had to realize it.  
And she had to forget about Matt, because he had been the big obstacle in the way.   
Maybe TK'd been onto something after all.  
  
"It's okay, trust me," he said. She quieted as she listened to him.   
"Listen Mimi, if you listen to yourself, you'll know for sure who it is you'll want. I already  
know who it is, so don't worry."  
Mimi thought deeply. She thought of how she and Matt had clashed since nearly the  
day they'd met, yet how she'd always had fun with him, despite the fights. The time  
when he'd actually held back an insult to encourage her to do what she needed to do,  
that night in the digital desert. The times she'd called him in America, hoping to somehow  
call some sort of truce. It would never work. She thought of how cool it had been to   
hear his voice after a long time, and how once she'd even playfully asked for his auto-  
graph, after he'd told her about how he and his band were really popular. He'd just  
snorted, and she could practically feel him roll his eyes on the other end, but sure  
enough, a few weeks later, a letter from him arrived in the mail, and inside the envelope  
had been a poster of his band, with his autograph in the bottom right-hand corner. All  
her friends in America had demanded to know who the cute blond guy in the poster   
was, and had nearly freaked when she told them he was one of her closest friends. That  
was just the kind of things they'd do for each other, they'd do anything for the other,  
but they still drove each other nuts.  
  
But then she thought of sweet, blue-eyed boy who, for a short time, had been the  
best friend she'd had, next to Sora. How he'd always stood up for her and agreed with  
everything she'd said. And the times when they'd played around together, him, her,  
Palmon and Patamon. Like an exclusive club. He'd always taken her side, sometimes   
even if it meant going against his brother. And how he'd always listened to her as she  
told him anything that was on her mind, without being judgemental in the least. And  
that hadn't been because of age difference. When she was with him, she forgot that  
there was a 3 year span between them. He was so much mature than her, and they  
always took turns looking after each other.  
  
Now she couldn't get him off her mind, his sweet, cute, innocent-filled face and his  
terrific personality. Then she thought of what she'd put him through and felt an  
emotional ripping of pain across her chest, as if it was on fire. TK, I'm so sorry! she  
cried in her mind.  
  
She knew her mind was made up. "Matt?" she said in a tiny voice. Matt blinked, realizing  
she'd finally spoken after a super-long pause. He nodded sadly, with a small smile. "So  
you figured it out, huh?" he asked.  
"I'm really sorry," she whispered. "Hey, don't worry about it," Matt reassured her. "I  
knew it all along, well, pretty much."  
Mimi gave a little laugh, though there didn't seem much happiness in it. "I wish I hadn't  
come back to visit, none of this would've happened."  
"Mimi, it would've happened sooner or later," Matt pointed out. "This was one of those  
things you just can't avoid."  
"Matt, look," Mimi explained softly. "You've always been one of my very best friends, I  
do love you, just not the same way. The same way that TK loves you, 'cause no matter  
what you did, I never hated you. Sure, I've wanted to kill you sometimes, and I know  
it's the same way with you, but I'd still do anything for you. You're like my big brother  
too, you know that?"  
  
Matt smiled, this time it was a real smile, though he was still really sad. "I know," he  
murmured. "I always did feel like I was babysitting 2 little kids instead of one. I never  
minded, though. Mimi, I don't hate you either, and I never will, no matter what."  
"Thanks Matt."  
Matt nodded, feeling the same closeness to Mimi as he'd felt on Saturday. At least now  
he knew what it was. "No problem, Mims. Now go find TK, okay?"  
"Okay," agreed Mimi with a smile. "I'll seeya, okay? Later, big bro." She said the last  
part kind of sarcastically, then hung up the phone, leaving Matt to look at it in confusion.  
Then he smiled wryly and hung up as well, putting the phone back on the hook. Then  
he went back to the couch and looked at the window, as the TV murmured in the back-  
ground. He felt a bittersweet pang as he thought of her, but also a sense of right. I   
hope TK realizes how lucky he is, he thought.  
  
  
  
"Hi Mrs. Takaishi," Mimi greeted TK's mother. "Is TK there?"  
"No, I'm sorry, Mimi," Mrs. Takaishi told her. "He just went out."  
"Did he say where he was going?" Mimi asked, glancing out the window. It had started  
to rain, and it was getting a little heavier. TK went out in this? she thought worriedly.  
"He wasn't really specific, he just said he was going out for a walk."  
"Okay," said Mimi. "Well, thank you. Bye."  
"Bye, Mimi," she said. "I'll tell TK you called."  
Mimi hung up the phone, then immediately went to the front door, getting her jacket and  
shoes. She had a feeling she knew where TK had gone, to a favourite spot of his. Iron-  
ically, it happened to be her favourite spot too. Grabbing an umbrella, she ran out the  
door.  
  
  
  
TK walked listlessly through the park, heading for the pond. It was a good thing he  
knew the way by memory, because his mind sure wouldn't have helped much. Not with  
everything it was cluttered with. Once again, the image of the tiny kiss he'd seen Matt  
and Mimi share flashed before his eyes, along with the now-familiar ache in his chest.  
The kiss may have been brief, but it had said a lot.  
  
He sat down on the dock, staring into the greenish-gray water as the rain droplets hit  
the surface. He himself barely felt the rain. He was hardly in tune with anything, even  
though thunder was rumbling in the distance.  
  
TK wasn't sure exactly how long he sat there, quickly getting drenched, but he DID  
notice when the raindrops suddenly stopped hitting him as a shadow passed over him.  
Briefly, he realized someone was holding an umbrella above him, and then she spoke.  
"Heya."  
He turned around slowly to face Mimi. She came and sat down next to him on the wet  
dock, still holding the umbrella over his head. One look into her hypnotizing caramel eyes,  
which were now huge and sad, and he knew that she knew everything.  
  
He noticed the umbrella, which was totally covering him, and not her. "Don't," he  
murmured, pushing it toward her. "You'll catch a cold."  
"I don't care," she replied. "Come on, let's go to that cave down the path. At least  
there, we won't get soaked."  
TK stood up, making no move to complain. They walked along the muddy trail toward the   
cave. Mimi put her umbrella down because the spokes were metal, and it was starting  
to thunder and lightning.  
  
They ducked into the cave just as a huge downpour began. Mimi began attempting to  
dry her hair, while TK just sat down on the cold stone floor and watched the rain,  
thinking that it matched his mood perfectly. He could feel Mimi's eyes on him, and she  
came and sat next to him again. "TK," she began. He turned to her and saw tears in  
her eyes. Then she leaped forward and threw her arms around him, burying her face in  
his shoulder. He could make out a muffled, "I'm so sorry" as she cried into his shoulder.  
  
TK stared down at her, his eyes quickly tearing up. His heart felt like it was being pulled  
from at least a hundred different directions, like a piece of Silly Putty.  
Suddenly, he squeezed his eyes closed and, with a great effort, pulled away. "No," he  
murmured. "Mimi, please don't do that. I just can't get hurt that way again."  
Mimi stared into his eyes. "TK," she started, but TK immediately jumped up and backed  
away. "No!" he shouted. "You'll hurt me again, I don't want to get hurt that way again,  
I couldn't take it..." He slid to the ground with his back against the cave wall. By now,  
he was fully in tears, they were running rivers down his cheeks, and sobs tore through  
his body. He felt so helpless, and hopeless, and..heartbroken, something totally new to  
him.  
  
Mimi stared at him, her own tears making their way down her cheeks, horrified at what  
she'd done to him, what she'd made him experience. She walked over and knelt in front  
of him, putting her arms around him and trying her best to soothe him. "Oh TK," she  
murmured softly, sobs choking her words. "TK, I am so sorry. You can't imagine how  
sorry I am. I never knew...I didn't want to hurt you this, not for anything. I love you.  
Really and truly," she said, using a phrase from their earlier days in the Digiworld.  
TK froze as he heard those 3 words. He whirled to face her in astonishment. "What?" he  
whispered. Mimi gave a faint smile and nodded. "I really do. Matt had to help me realize  
it, but I finally know what I feel."  
TK stared at her in shock. "You mean it? But..you're 3 years older than me. That was  
one of the main things that pretty much coloured you off-limits in my mind."  
Mimi leaned closer, wiping her eyes and giving him a sweet, somewhat sly smile. "TK?  
Ask me if I care about that."  
TK blinked. "Huh?"  
  
Mimi giggled, seeming to feel much better now that she'd finally admitted it. "Ask me  
if I care," she repeated.  
TK raised an eyebrow. "Do you care?"  
She held his eye. "I don't," she told him, before they met in a heart-stopping kiss. All  
of the little kisses she'd given him through the years put together couldn't make up  
for that one.  
  
When they pulled apart, they just stared at each other, both of them blushing, but  
smiling. "Did you like that one?" Mimi asked him innocently. TK gazed at her. "Yeah..."  
he said softly. She smiled at him, tilting her head with that special smile of hers. "Better  
than the one in the digital world?"  
TK blinked. "Huh?" Sometimes Mimi was hard to figure out. Then she giggled and leaned  
closer, whispering in his ear. "That night in the Digiworld, when Joe climbed that  
mountain, I felt you kiss me on the cheek."  
TK blushed deeper, glancing down. "Uh, well-"  
"It's okay TK," she told him. "I liked it too." They smiled at each other, loving what they'd  
found in the other, then put their arms around each other and stayed that way until  
the storm passed.  
  
  
  
  
I finished it! The hardest triangle I've ever had to write ^_^* Well, counting this one,  
I've only written 2 triangle stories. Anyway, Mimato fans, sorry for not making this end  
as a Mimato, I'll make it up soon. At least there were SOME Mimato moments, right?  
Well, thank you for reading, please tell me what you thought of this, okay? Thanks! 


End file.
